Buddhism tells its followers to suffer willingly to seek liberation for others. A Bodhisattva rejects his own salvation to help others get rid of their miseries. Our lives can become beautiful if we adopt this ideal, says Sant Rajinder Singh
life is not a dagger stained with the blood of hatred; it is a branch filled with the flowers of love and compassion.
— Sant Darshan Singh
How many of us have yearned to have a divine vision of GodIJ For many, finding God is a dream that hardly seems possible, but many people over the ages have managed to reach Him. How did they do itIJ They all used one technique. We may call it inversion, concentration or meditation. They sat in the stillness, directed their attention within, and ultimately discovered God. They attained the state reached by all the great saints. They became loving and compassionate human beings.
look at the lives of Christ, Buddha, Mahavira, Guru Nanak and Moses. What did they teachIJ They all came with the message of love, unity and non-violence. They taught us to care for our fellow beings and love God. Most of us have been brought up in one religion or another. If we look at the basic message of the founders of all religions, we find them spreading the message of love and peace. They attained that realisation by developing themselves spiritually. We, too, can develop our spiritual side. Through meditation, we can spend some time each day in the company of God. As He bathes us in love and bliss, we are cleansed. The power of God instills in us the qualities of love, forgiveness and compassion.
Saints and mystics in all religions have sacrificed themselves to relieve our sufferings and turn our attention to God. We find in Buddhism, the Bodhisattva vow, which is to devote oneself to save all beings and accept their sufferings as one’s own. In this prayer, Bodhisattva is offered salvation. He is offered a chance to be free from the sufferings of the world and achieve liberation, but he refuses. He says, “I am not afraid of the burden of suffering. I will not run away from it. I will pay any price to save all beings. I want to rescue all beings from the pain of old age, sickness, disease and death.”
When asked about freeing himself from his own suffering, the Bodhisattva says, “With the help of the boat of all-knowledge, I will rescue all living beings from the turbulent stream of illusion and maya. I will grapple with the suffering of all humanity. No matter how long it takes, I will help all beings to freedom.” Again, he is asked why he wants to do that. The Bodhisattva replies, “It is better that I alone should be in pain than that all these beings should suffer. I must give myself away as a pawn through which the whole world is redeemed from the terror of hells, of animal birth, of death. I will give myself as ransom, for I do not seek enlightenment for my own sake, but for the sake of freeing others.”
It is hard for us to imagine the depth of love for humanity that would cause an enlightened being to come down to this world and suffer for our sake so that we can be free from pain and suffering. In life, we often see our parents making this kind of sacrifice for us. We find in certain professions, like fire-fighting, police work or the military, people take on the job knowing that part of their responsibility may be to lay down their lives for others. However, what the Bodhisattva is taking upon himself is not just a job where the sacrifice may or may not happen; the Bodhisattva is taking it on with full expectation that part of the duty is to take that suffering. His entire purpose in this world is to suffer for others.
likewise, the great saints and mystics sent here by God to relieve us of suffering do not want anything in return. They merely bow in gratitude to the lord for the opportunity to serve others. Their love is unconditional.
How can we show our gratitude to God for His miraclesIJ There are two things we can do. First, we can bestow our compassion on others by allowing all of God’s creation into our hearts. All beings from the very young to the aged thrive on love. It gives joy, ecstasy and sweetness to life. We should nourish all those we meet with love and compassion. It is easy to remain in our shells and ignore those around us, but sometimes people have no one to talk to, no one with whom they can share their troubles. let us not turn away anyone in need from our doors. let us consider all as our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers.
The second way we can show gratitude for God’s gifts is to put to use the wonderful gift the lord has given us. We have in our souls the treasures of all creation. God resides within us. We need to turn within to experience these treasures. The gift of the inner light and sound of God reverberating within us is evergreen and ever-fresh. It keeps us fulfilled and happy. Open that gift through meditation and enjoy the happiness it brings. By developing our own spiritual nature, let us come in contact with the light and sound of God within us. As we experience the inner bliss, let us convert that into compassion and forgiveness, and let us start anew to build peaceful, harmonious and loving relationships. In this way, we will be building a peaceful, safe world for ourselves, for our children, and for posterity.
The writer is a spiritual master